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Do Those Drapes Stay With the House? How About the Mirrors? Real Estate “Fixtures” Stay Home

When a buyer and seller are settling on a contract to sell a home, they’re usually not thinking about minor items like their favorite drapes, pieces of art, or the bird house they built for their children. It’s a good idea, though, to make an inventory of the items that you’re planning on keeping and disclosing this to your buyer before signing a contract. At the very least, come to an agreement before closing–running out the door with your favorite sconces could come back to bite you later.

So, then, what is the actual “rule” for deciding which parts of a home should technically stay with the home, and which ones are assumed to go with the seller? It’s not always perfectly cut-and-dry, but in the real estate industry we classify “fixtures” as items that are permanently attached to the home or property. Any fixtures in a standard residential real estate purchase should stay with the home, unless otherwise stated in the sale contract.

So, what does “permanently attached” mean? This is where the definition can become gray, which is why we always try to define our fixture inventory with buyers and sellers upfront. To make it easy, take anything that is nailed, screwed, or glued to a wall or floor in the home and assume it’s a fixture. Screwed-in curtain rods, attached blinds, lighting fixtures, bathroom towel rods, permanently-affixed mirrors, etc. will all transfer with the home to the new owner.

So, what about grandma’s hand-sewn drapes on the curtain rods? What about the artistic mirror in the bath that’s just hanging on a hook, or the portable shed in the yard? All of these things are probably technically not fixtures, but could still cause a dispute after closing when a buyer walks into an empty house. Get your inventory list done first, and everyone will have a less-stressful closing.

Sam DeBord is a Realtor and real estate broker with SeattleHome.com, a division of Washington State Realty, LLC. He is a member of the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors and a Green-Certified Pro. The NWMLS did not compile or publish this information.

Have a question about this waterfront home, or Seattle real estate in general?Sam can be contacted at (206) 658-3225 or Sam(at)SeattleHome.com.